...well, foremost, I don't consider God simply a displacement of everything I can't conceive or the greatest that I can imagine. Not at all. I think God is more a general consciousness present in all things that we're personally aware of. That is to say, if we were to make contact with life-supporting planet in another solar system, we may see a completely different... personality present in everything that manifests physically and interacts there.

I think that would make our understanding of (and relationship with) God so much stronger, rather than dissillusion the conception of God altogether. It would make God so much more distinct.

It's pretty clear to me that life and matter on this planet -- in fact, this planet itself -- has a given personality present in all things about it. I think the simplest way to exemplify this is by appearance. There is a given way that things appear here... it's so distinct, that it's actually fairly easy to imagine things that violate this appearance... our conception of aliens or cartoons are two excellent examples. Indeed, there is nothing making the existence of these things impossible; they simply don't exist, because they don't fit the rubric applied to all things that do exist as we know it on this planet. There are even things that appear eccentric -- those organisms that seem to only loosely abide by this preconception of reality -- which further reinforces the claim. An example could be a platypus. A curious animal, there was a great deal of time that it appeared to supercede our understanding of biology. Still, it remains an exception to most of the rules we've deduced about life on this planet.

God is present in all these things; or, more accurately, his artistic style and personality is. However, this isn't to say that any specific entity physically manufactured these things. Instead, it means that the given consciousness that we acknowlege in all living things, ourselves included, is really a manifestation of this Godhead, which is unique to our specific arrangement, and immutable from it. We can personally communicate with this consciousnesses, although we are a part of it, and return to it fully once we no longer have our own consciousness to appeal to.

Religion is one way of, perhaps, better understanding or interacting with this overall consciousness, but that isn't to say that reach it is impossible through the sciences, or that the sciences don't evidence God in any way. As part of our general observation about all things, God is still a mysterious aspect that we're attempting to accomodate in our general understanding, but which doesn't apply on such a microcosmic level so distinctly that (he/it, really) can be isolated and studied in and of (his/it)self.

When it is all said and done, we can never acknowlege God, and even deny him our entire lives, and it wouldn't make a bit of a difference. However, he will exist within us nonetheless and color every picture we draw of our realities.

...well, foremost, I don't consider God simply a displacement of everything I can't conceive or the greatest that I can imagine. Not at all. I think God is more a general consciousness present in all things that we're personally aware of. That is to say, if we were to make contact with life-supporting planet in another solar system, we may see a completely different... personality present in everything that manifests physically and interacts there.

I think that would make our understanding of (and relationship with) God so much stronger, rather than dissillusion the conception of God altogether. It would make God so much more distinct.

It's pretty clear to me that life and matter on this planet -- in fact, this planet itself -- has a given personality present in all things about it. I think the simplest way to exemplify this is by appearance. There is a given way that things appear here... it's so distinct, that it's actually fairly easy to imagine things that violate this appearance... our conception of aliens or cartoons are two excellent examples. Indeed, there is nothing making the existence of these things impossible; they simply don't exist, because they don't fit the rubric applied to all things that do exist as we know it on this planet. There are even things that appear eccentric -- those organisms that seem to only loosely abide by this preconception of reality -- which further reinforces the claim. An example could be a platypus. A curious animal, there was a great deal of time that it appeared to supercede our understanding of biology. Still, it remains an exception to most of the rules we've deduced about life on this planet.

True that...and the personality has gone through some changes! Dinosaurs...6 foot wing span dragonfly's....spiders as big as a black lab. Seems the atmospheric pressure was a lot greater back then yes?

God is present in all these things; or, more accurately, his artistic style and personality is. However, this isn't to say that any specific entity physically manufactured these things. Instead, it means that the given consciousness that we acknowlege in all living things, ourselves included, is really a manifestation of this Godhead, which is unique to our specific arrangement, and immutable from it. We can personally communicate with this consciousnesses, although we are a part of it, and return to it fully once we no longer have our own consciousness to appeal to.

If our consciousness is immersed in God's consciousness...how can we ever lose consciousness?

Religion is one way of, perhaps, better understanding or interacting with this overall consciousness, but that isn't to say that reach it is impossible through the sciences, or that the sciences don't evidence God in any way. As part of our general observation about all things, God is still a mysterious aspect that we're attempting to accomodate in our general understanding, but which doesn't apply on such a microcosmic level so distinctly that (he/it, really) can be isolated and studied in and of (his/it)self.

Personaly I think they are looking in the wrong direction....but I suppose it gives them purpose to count the pebbles on the Mountain *chuckle*

When it is all said and done, we can never acknowlege God, and even deny him our entire lives, and it wouldn't make a bit of a difference. However, he will exist within us nonetheless and color every picture we draw of our realities.

What a beautiful and well thought out answer! Thank you so much for the gold you have spun with your mind, we are all wealthier for it =)

So in your imagining The God that Is, has no qualities that can be descried?

Yep. The actual god, should he exist, cannot be described.

Nothing that can be called Divine?

What does divine mean?

The God of no attributes?

Attributes are human terms. They cannot fulfill the standard needed to define god.

You only limit a laser beam if you put something in front of it....even so....it still points in a direction.

Defining god "put[s] something in front of it." How do you know that the laser points in a direction? Also, comparing god to a laser is rather...well unintelligible. You can see and describe a laser. By describing a laser, you limit it's potentiality to what is there, you limit it so you can have meaningful discourse about the laser. The same goes for god, you limit god so you can have meaningful discourse about god, but defining god limits god.

According to so called xtianities preferred Story book the correct definition of the Story book god is a child spiritually raping narcissistic bastard that dumps its little bastard on to another man and refuses to marry the child it made pregnant!, that drowned children and had others murdered but only interfered to spare its own bastard child, hates amputees, speaks self-contradicting BS and tells lies!

That's just a few examples of the true Story book biblical god, accurately defined according to so called xtianities preferred Story book!!

The first is god as he is described emotionally in holy texts. Benevolent almost to the point of being creepy, and unsure how we as lesser creatures will percieve the morality (or lack thereof) of his actions, assuming he even knows how to fix a problem, he's sure as hell gonna try despite occasionally committing genocide by accident.

Thw second if god as he is described potentially in holy texts. Creator of the universe, infinite power. Arguably the reason behind many of the laws of physics and thermodynamics.

Why can't god be both?

because I never once commanded ants to worship me, and I'm sure nobody else hs either.

At 9/22/2012 4:49:01 AM, Composer wrote:According to so called xtianities preferred Story book the correct definition of the Story book god is a child spiritually raping narcissistic bastard that dumps its little bastard on to another man and refuses to marry the child it made pregnant!, that drowned children and had others murdered but only interfered to spare its own bastard child, hates amputees, speaks self-contradicting BS and tells lies!

That's just a few examples of the true Story book biblical god, accurately defined according to so called xtianities preferred Story book!!

At 9/22/2012 5:09:11 AM, Veridas wrote:I figure there are two possibilities for god.

The first is god as he is described emotionally in holy texts. Benevolent almost to the point of being creepy, and unsure how we as lesser creatures will percieve the morality (or lack thereof) of his actions, assuming he even knows how to fix a problem, he's sure as hell gonna try despite occasionally committing genocide by accident.

Thw second if god as he is described potentially in holy texts. Creator of the universe, infinite power. Arguably the reason behind many of the laws of physics and thermodynamics.

Why can't god be both?

because I never once commanded ants to worship me, and I'm sure nobody else hs either.

As there are no gods, I suppose a necessary condition would be that these aliens exist - as something other than literary figures and justifications for murder and child rape.

Once they existed, then I suppose that I would hate them passionately - since I am everywhere opposed to murder and child rape, the favorite pastimes of all the most modern gods.

Perhaps I am being hasty. Kim Jong Il was a god who did actually exist. He served mankind as the Dear Leader of North Korea for a time. Alas, his divine wisdom was rejected by humanity, despite his many murders and rapes.

At 9/22/2012 2:05:42 PM, DeFool wrote:As there are no gods, I suppose a necessary condition would be that these aliens exist - as something other than literary figures and justifications for murder and child rape.

Once they existed, then I suppose that I would hate them passionately - since I am everywhere opposed to murder and child rape, the favorite pastimes of all the most modern gods.

Perhaps I am being hasty. Kim Jong Il was a god who did actually exist. He served mankind as the Dear Leader of North Korea for a time. Alas, his divine wisdom was rejected by humanity, despite his many murders and rapes.

God is One, all other conceptions by man are just that...thoughts about the One God.

Kim Jong Ill? That is the extent of your imagining? Sad dude, real sad. Or do your just like to get ridiculous sometimes? It's okay, so do I ;)

At 9/22/2012 2:05:42 PM, DeFool wrote:As there are no gods, I suppose a necessary condition would be that these aliens exist - as something other than literary figures and justifications for murder and child rape.

Once they existed, then I suppose that I would hate them passionately - since I am everywhere opposed to murder and child rape, the favorite pastimes of all the most modern gods.

Perhaps I am being hasty. Kim Jong Il was a god who did actually exist. He served mankind as the Dear Leader of North Korea for a time. Alas, his divine wisdom was rejected by humanity, despite his many murders and rapes.

God is One, all other conceptions by man are just that...thoughts about the One God.

Kim Jong Ill? That is the extent of your imagining? Sad dude, real sad. Or do your just like to get ridiculous sometimes? It's okay, so do I ;)

Kim Jong Il was so a god.... He even said so. That's proof.

"God is real.""How do you know?""Because the bible says so.""How do you know that what the bible says is so?""Because it is the word of god."

At 9/22/2012 2:32:14 PM, DeFool wrote:Kim Jong Il was so a god.... He even said so. That's proof.

"God is real.""How do you know?""Because the bible says so.""How do you know that what the bible says is so?""Because it is the word of god."

How do I know? Because I have directly experienced the reality of God, and I could only take that Omnipresent Interpenetrating Consciousness for about 3 minutes before God had to leave or risk destroying me.

Just so you know, I come from a very different place of being. I don't believe in God, I have living faith and I follow it and I am changed so that Man and Truth may exist as One.

At 9/22/2012 5:09:11 AM, Veridas wrote:I figure there are two possibilities for god.

The first is god as he is described emotionally in holy texts. Benevolent almost to the point of being creepy, and unsure how we as lesser creatures will percieve the morality (or lack thereof) of his actions, assuming he even knows how to fix a problem, he's sure as hell gonna try despite occasionally committing genocide by accident.

Thw second if god as he is described potentially in holy texts. Creator of the universe, infinite power. Arguably the reason behind many of the laws of physics and thermodynamics.

Why can't god be both?

because I never once commanded ants to worship me, and I'm sure nobody else hs either.

At 9/22/2012 3:14:32 PM, Archistrategos wrote:How do I know? Because I have directly experienced the reality of God, and I could only take that Omnipresent Interpenetrating Consciousness for about 3 minutes before God had to leave or risk destroying me.

Me Composer the ongoing successful Cult buster: Shucks! I successfully destroyed those like you in the twinkling of an eye already!

I am obviously a superior experience and at least a literal one for a change, LOL!

At 9/22/2012 3:14:32 PM, Archistrategos wrote:How do I know? Because I have directly experienced the reality of God, and I could only take that Omnipresent Interpenetrating Consciousness for about 3 minutes before God had to leave or risk destroying me.

Me Composer the ongoing successful Cult buster: Shucks! I successfully destroyed those like you in the twinkling of an eye already!

I am obviously a superior experience and at least a literal one for a change, LOL!

At 9/22/2012 3:14:32 PM, Archistrategos wrote:How do I know? Because I have directly experienced the reality of God, and I could only take that Omnipresent Interpenetrating Consciousness for about 3 minutes before God had to leave or risk destroying me.

Me Composer the ongoing successful Cult buster: Shucks! I successfully destroyed those like you in the twinkling of an eye already!

I am obviously a superior experience and at least a literal one for a change, LOL!

Test me Composer and you will find the fathomless flood of an ocean and the inescapable fires of a star.

You are obviously a mote of dust blowing here and there, signifying nothing.

At 9/22/2012 4:49:01 AM, Composer wrote:According to so called xtianities preferred Story book the correct definition of the Story book god is a child spiritually raping narcissistic bastard that dumps its little bastard on to another man and refuses to marry the child it made pregnant!, that drowned children and had others murdered but only interfered to spare its own bastard child, hates amputees, speaks self-contradicting BS and tells lies!

That's just a few examples of the true Story book biblical god, accurately defined according to so called xtianities preferred Story book!!

Next!

It's always amazing to see what passes for "clever" in an immature and small mind.

"It is one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to perceive." " C. W. Leadbeater